Matthew has always been involved with nonprofits and community organizations. His first major effort began in college as Chairman of Alpha Epsilon Pi’s, Walk-a-thon for at the University of Illinois, which raised more than $100,000 for the American Cancer Society.

After graduation, Matthew spent a year in New York City working as a production coordinator on the film unit for NBC’s Saturday Night Live. He then went on to a successful 20-year career in marketing and advertising. During that time he was often found “gently encouraging” client’s to do community outreach and fundraising activities. He spent more than a decade of that career as owner and partner in Kurtzman Slavin Communications, a boutique ad agency in the Chicago area.

In the mid 2000’s he started his own consulting firm, while continuing to do work for a number of nonprofit organizations including Chicago House and Social Service Agency, The State Theatre, Equality Illinois, Howard Brown Health Center, 20% Theater Company and Chicago Lost and Found.

With each passing year, Matthew has felt a great need to focus his energies on making a real difference in peoples’ lives, particularly those that did not have the same good fortune he’s had. To that end, Matthew is elated to be working for Back 2 School Illinois and is looking forward to building a successful organization that makes an increasingly significant impact on the people of Illinois.